1901 Bulgarian parliamentary election

1901 Bulgarian parliamentary election

←  1899 28 January 1901 1902  →
All 167 seats in the National Assembly 84 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	42.74%
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– People's Party Konstantin Stoilov 18.75 25 +23 People's Liberal Dimitar Grekov 18.40 31 +12 Progressive Liberal Stoyan Danev 16.49 31 +21 Democratic Petko Karavelov 13.75 27 +17 BZNS Yanko Zabunov  ( bg ) 6.33 13 New LP (Radoslavists) Vasil Radoslavov 4.23 5 −84 BRSDP Dimitar Blagoev 4.11 2 −2 Reformist Party 1.70 5 New Ind. Democrats 1.33 2 New Conservatives 0.99 2 +1 Independents – 11.30 24 +19 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Prime Minister before Prime Minister after Racho Petrov Petrov I (Ind.) Petko Karavelov Karavelov IV (DP+PLP)

Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 28 January 1901 ^[1] to elect members of the XI Ordinary National Assembly. Although the People's Party received the most votes, the People's Liberal Party and the Progressive Liberal Party jointly won the most seats. Voter turnout was 43%. ^[2]

Results

Party		Votes [a]	%	Seats	+/–
	People's Party	149,276	18.75	25	+23
	People's Liberal Party	146,532	18.40	31	+12
	Progressive Liberal Party	131,301	16.49	31	+21
	Democratic Party	109,471	13.75	27	+17
	Bulgarian Agrarian National Union	50,428	6.33	13	+13
	Liberal Party	33,718	4.23	5	–84
	Bulgarian Workers' Social Democratic Party	32,737	4.11	2	–2
	Undetermined	15,310	1.92	0	–
	Reformist Party	13,508	1.70	5	+5
	Independent Democrats	10,587	1.33	2	+2
	Conservative Party	7,861	0.99	2	+1
	Independent Liberals	4,417	0.55	0	–
	Independent PLP	973	0.12	0	–
	Monarchist-Constitutionalists	135	0.02	0	–
	Independents	89,944	11.30	24	+19
Total		796,198	100.00	167	–2
Valid votes		292,911	84.95
Invalid/blank votes		51,876	15.05
Total votes		344,787	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		806,679	42.74
Source: National Statistical Institute, [3] Nohlen & Stöver

By-elections

Several MPs were elected in more than one constituency and were required to choose which one to represent when the Assembly convened, resulting in nine seats being vacated. Two MPs died, two resigned their seats to hold national office and the results in seventeen seats were annulled, resulting in 30 vacancies across 20 constituencies. Snap elections were held on 8 April and 7 October 1901. This resulted in the Progressive Liberal Party becoming the largest party with 40 seats. ^[3]

Party		Seats
	Progressive Liberal Party	40
	People's Party	29
	Democratic Party	27
	People's Liberal Party	24
	Independents	19
	Bulgarian Agrarian National Union	12
	Liberal Party	5
	Conservative Party	2
	Bulgarian Workers' Social Democratic Party	2
	Independent Democrats	2
	Reformist Party	1
	Democratic-Republican	1
Total		164
Source: National Statistical Institute [3]

Aftermath

Following the election, Petko Karavelov became Prime Minister, leading a government of the DP and the PLP, supported by the NP. These were Bulgaria's three major traditional pro-Russian parties. The government granted an amnesty to many of those involved in the 1900 riots and introduced democratization reforms, including greater press freedom and increased Parliamentary oversight of ministers. However voting rights were taken away from Bulgaria's Muslim and Roma populations, a policy that would remain until the 1914 election. The ongoing financial crisis in the country continued to worsen and Karavelov resigned in December 1901, after Parliament narrowly rejected a proposed French loan by the Paribas bank by four votes, with the deciding votes coming from former Democrats in the new Young Democrats Party. PLP leader and Foreign minister Stoyan Danev was appointed PM and lead a minority government heading into the subsequent 1902 election. ^{[4] [5]}

Notes

1. Listed is the number of votes received for each party, not the number of individual voters. As most of the 81 constituencies elected more than one MP, most voters cast more than one vote. The number of individual voters was 344 787

References

1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p368 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
2. Nohlen & Stöver, p377
3. Statistique des elections des deputes pour la XI-eme Assemblee nationale ordinaire. NSI. 1904. pp. 11, 12, 169.
4. Kumanov, Milen. Political organizations and movements in Bulgaria and their leaders 1879-1949, Sofia 1991.
5. "ДРАМАТИЧНАТА ИСТОРИЯ НА БАНКОВИЯ ЗАЕМ ОТ 1901-1902" . Retrieved 28 August 2025.